The present invention relates to an optically readable code and a method for communication by using the code.
Conventionally, bar codes containing various data of merchandise are widely used for merchandise control. The bar code is generally printed on the packing paper of merchandise, or a label which is attached to an article or the packing paper of merchandise. The data on the bar code is read by a bar code reader when the article is forwarded, received and sold; and used for merchandise control and sales management. A bar code reader for such well-known bar codes is disclosed in Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. 30613/1978.
To input literal data printed on packing paper and the like to a computer, the data is either read and inputted manually with a keyboard or read and inputted by an expensive Optical Character Reader (hereinafter referred to as OCR).
However, bar code is not adequate for more precise merchandise control since the information expressed by the bar code is small in quantity. Therefore, it is difficult to adapt the bar code in other fields that require more information than is required for merchandise control.
Furthermore, a special apparatus is required to generate or revise the bar code, which prevents ready generation or correction of the bar code.
Moreover, the input of literal data to a computer by means of a keyboard is labor and time consuming, and the use of the expensive OCR results in a high cost.